Sinkhole on N.E. 178th St. in LFP Now Fixed

A contractor hired by the City of Lake Forest Park to fix sinkhole on N.E. 178th St. in Lake Forest Park that resulted in closure the street for about a day and a half, wrapped up earlier this afternoon and the street is now open.

Last month's storm that brought rain and minor flooding caused the sinkhole compounded by the continued wet weather. Elevated levels of groundwater also contributed to the sinkhole, city Public Works Director Frank Zenk said.

D&D Utilities and Excavating of Bothell was the contractor hired by the city to do the work. Total costs are still being determined but Zenk estimated it the repair will cost about $19,000. The job was completed a day and a half earlier than predicted, he added.

On Monday, crews were using an excavator to dig and hit a small two-inch water main that had not been documented by the Lake Forest Park Water District.

The main had been built out of PVC pipe probably sometime in the 1970s or 1980s around a culvert and had not been documented and it went undetected by the district's electrical signal used to find pipes, said LFP Water District General Manager Alan Kerley. Kerley emphasized that it was not the city or contractor's fault that the main was disturbed.

The main was shut off within 10 minutes of being damaged, Kerley said, and about 35 residences were without water for about five hours from about 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday while it was repaired.